Battle Scars
by DeedeeSmith
Summary: 2nd release. The final battle, good vs. evil, Potter vs. Voldemort. The prophecy says only one will live. So, who will it be?


"Ron, you coming?" Hermione's flat voice echoed across the room at a boy…no man, who was standing in the corner tying his tie and thinking. "Wha-, oh, yea Hermione, be there in a second" Ron said with a sigh and Hermione nodded and exited the room.

"_Harry stop!" Ron called out to his friend who was running like a fool down the corridors, trying desperately to get to the room from which the most horrific screams were coming. Harry, bravest lad anyone had known, at the tender age of seventeen turned to his best friend, his brother and shook his head,_

"_No." That word crashed around Ron and he realized what Harry was going to do, "Ron, I can't stop. That war in there, that war's for me, no one else…me. I was born for this, I was spared for this, and someone, somewhere knows I can do this" Harry turned quickly and continued to run down the hall. Ron sighed and took off after him, _

"_I know you can do this mate" he said and Harry would have smiled, but for the circumstances he just nodded, "thanks Ron" he said shortly and he threw open the doors._

Ron gathered his papers and attempted to flatten his hair in the mirror across from him. He took one last look at himself and shook his head, "I look…old" he muttered. And yes, he did. He looked as if he had seen anything and everything no one should ever have to see. And still he stood there in that room, he had made it, "maybe mum was right, maybe I am a man."

_The scene before them was one of horrific battle and terrible bloodshed. On one side there were the people he knew, Remus, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Fred, George, his whole family…even Ginny were fighting like the warriors Ron always knew they were. On the other side also people he knew, Luscious Malfoy, Bellatrix, and so on…they were fighting just as hard for a cause that they believed in just as much. Ron took in a short breath as he saw a cloaked figure standing in the front most part of the battle, his robes were singed and his face contorted, but no doubt…this was Voldemort. Ron hardly knew what had taken him over, some need for revenge, some pent up anger? No, he wasn't fighting out of spite, but out of love, and out of a need for life. He fought bravely alongside Harry and Hermione, all around him people fell, Malfoy went down with a hallow thud, had he done that? Then it was Snape…and Ron felt something inside of him, no matter how much he hated the old professor, he was on his side and that was a bond worth dying for. Left and right his friends and family fell, he saw Charlie fall beside him, and he was pulled aside by Harry, narrowly escaping a deadly curse, looking into the dead eyes of his older brother he had forgotten where he was. Death-eater after death-eater went down, some he recognized, some he didn't, but after awhile they all became the same, some faceless, nameless enemy to be vanquished. Chairs were thrown every which way and pieces of the wall were blown to bits yet the war raged on, there was no time to mourn the dead, unless you'd soon wish to be dead yourself._

Ron walked out of the room to find Hermione was waiting for him, she took him by the arm and he kissed her on the cheek, thank god for Hermione. They walked out of the double doors and onto a carriage that waited for them; it was pulled by a thestral that they both could see.

_Soon each side as diminished to only a few dozen fighters. Harry was hunched over a coughing Ginny, he held her head in his hands and for the first time Ron saw Harry cry, really cry. _

"_Come on, Gin, stay with me" his cracked voice could be heard whispering through the carnage. She tried to answer him but instead of words, blood came from between her lips. Soon, Ginny stopped her convulsions and was still, she would never move again. Harry picked up his wand with a vengeance so great Ron could see his scar burning from where he stood, defending his castle. He couldn't feel the tears that were falling for his sister, it mixed with his blood and soon there would be no difference between the two._

The carriage stopped and a sorrowful Dobby helped them out of the car, Hermione had not the strength to object. They walked to the hill and Hermione squeezed Ron's hand, "Ron, look" she said, and he did. There was everyone, literally everyone, his mother and father, comforting each other for their losses and holding on to the family they had. Fred stood by a tree his head hung, his other half was no longer there, he would keep the joke shops' name in memory of George. Neville was there. He had been crying and his eyes were puffy and red from it. Ron remembered being surprised at the amount of courage was built up inside his friend, who had always seemed so timid. He saw Lupin out of the corner of his eye, he was truly glad that he had made it their former professor offered a weak smile to the two and they returned it, this had to be hard for him. McGonagall stood, her normally sharp eyes lacking their valor as she remembered her colleagues lost. Even Draco was there, minus his two cronies, who had either been killed or lost in the aftermath. Ron was surprised at the side that Draco had chosen, being brought up in the Malfoy house and all, living for the better part of his life, a Slytherine until, the end… well; maybe Slytherines weren't that bad after all.

"_Do it son!" Luscious held a struggling Parvati Patil by the hair in front of his son. "Kill her!" Draco looked into the sobbing eyes of the defenseless girl and something inside him broke. "Do IT NOW!" His father roared. _

_"EXPELLEARMUS!" Draco yelled knocking his confused father across the room. Parvati seized the opportunity to run, as Luscious picked himself up, a snarl forming on his lips. _

_"So that's how it's gonna be" he growled raising his wand lightning flashing in his eyes._

_"Petrificis totalis!" Came the curt reply of a nearby Hermione. Draco didn't have time to thank her as she was gone in a flash, and all of a sudden his side, and his life had changed. _

The deflated crowd, Slytherine, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, it didn't matter, everyone clung to someone for comfort, everyone was crying for someone. No one was without a friend to cry with, and no one was without a reason to cry, at this bittersweet moment Ron smiled a bit for the first time since he could remember, "good luck, you'll be fine" Hermione whispered in his ear and he nodded as he moved to the front of the crowd and before a podium, ready to speak.

_Ron could see it happening, although he was powerless to stop it, "Harry!" He heard more then one voice call out, but that head of raven hair refused to turn around. It had taken Harry awhile to push through the dead and those still fighting to get to this point, there was no turning back. He raised his wand and in a voice Ron had never heard before he spoke, "TOM!" he screamed and the cloaked figure turned, "Potter" he hissed and both wizards held their wands out towards each other, "ADVADA KEDVARA!" The world seemed frozen for a moment as if time itself couldn't handle the enormity of the events that were taking place. Then there was a flash of green light so great Ron went blind for a moment and could feel himself falling. He landed on the hard stone and rubbed his eyes furiously to see who had made it, who had said the curse a moment before the other, who was able to escape? All murmurings and fighting ceased as Ron saw everyone, from both sides slowly get up and walk towards where the final spells had been cast, they all gasped at who they saw lying lifelessly on the cold stone floor._

"This is not a happy occasion" Ron started out his solemn speech, "and so I will not pretend it is. All of you have lost someone dear to you because of this war, and are all elated that it is over. However, no war ends without the human cost becoming evident, no war ends without heartbreak, or sorrow. No war ends with a single spell, and no war ends with a single battle. The war ended before it began, because of who was sent to fight it, it was clear whose heart was purest, and who in the end, must prevail."

"_Harry!" Hermione screamed rushing over to her friends body, "My Lord!" another faceless foe wailed and rushed over to his master's fallen figure. Ron looked down at them and felt sick. So this is how it ends? They both are gone, the prophecy said that there was only room for one of them in this world, perhaps neither of them were meant to live. He rushed beside Hermione after a few moments of disbelief. He took her hand and touched his best friend's cheek, his brother's fallen face, scraped and bruised, covered in blood, a warriors demise. Both sides slowly stood carrying the dead bodies from the battlefield. "Without Harry Potter we can still fight, but where are you without your dark lord?" It was McGonagall's questioning voice that rang through the air and the death-eaters stared at one another in utter disbelief. Those that were rounded up during the aftermath were taken to Azkaban however; some did escape, and would most likely live in shadows the rest of their days, a price on their heads. Ron helped the strewn members of his family from the floor and he was astonished at how many he had lost. Everyone was crying everyone was dying inside. "We lost him" Ron said in-between sobs to Hermione, "We didn't loose him Ron" she said, through tears of her own, "we won."_

"We won this war, not because we are better then the other side, we won this war not because light always triumphs, we won this war not because of Harry Potter…" Ron stopped, chocked up for a moment before continuing, "we won this war because we had to win this war….because in order for the world to continue how it must continue, for our children, and their children, we had to win this war. And do not weep too bitterly for those who fought bravely and lost their lives, for you too now have your own battle scars. This will never stop hurting for you, I know I will never stop missing my best friend, but we must continue on with our lives, because we won this war. So join me in honoring this great wizard, for whom we have all gathered today, Harry Potter gave his life for you, and your children. He lived his life fighting for the same cause for which he died…you. Harry never really had a true family, although mine filled in for him as best they could. So to him you all were his family, and that is truly a cause worth dying for." The crowd erupted in applause and Ron stepped down from his podium ears slightly pink.

"You were great" Mrs. Weasley said rushing up to her son and kissing him on the cheek,

"Really great" Hermione said taking his hand again. Everyone waited in a sorrowful line to place their gold and scarlet roses upon Harry's grave. Ron and Hermione were just behind Draco,

"Look you guys" Draco said trying to find the right words to express how he felt, "I'm, really sorry about Potter, he really was a great guy, wicked good Quidditch player too…it's a shame, how he…" Draco's voice trailed off and Hermione nodded empathetically,

"thanks Draco, we appreciate you being here" she said and Draco smiled a sort of sad smile as he lay his rose on the grave and walked away to oblivion. Ron placed his rose on top the large pile and tried to blink back his tears,

"'ere's to you mate" Ron said and he walked away, then it was Hermione's turn, she was crying freely now,

"Goodbye Harry" she sobbed and she joined Ron as they watched all those who lived pay their respects to one who did not. "God Ron" Hermione said squeezing his hand tightly; "this is so hard, we've lost so many" Ron nodded,

"Harry had his scar; it was plain for the world to see how hurt he had been. But now we've each got our own scar, although it can't be seen, we've all lost someone whom we loved very deeply, and nothing can take that scar away." After all the condolences and tears, Ron and Hermione boarded their carriage to go back to Hogwarts and gather their things, and get ready for graduation. No good came from this war, no matter how it may seem. The absence of evil is not good; it's better…but not good. It will take years for those affected to regain some sense of a normal life, and still, like Voldemort to Harry, a certain song, a scent, a photograph, a diploma. Something, will remind them of those they lost, maybe even their own children's laughter will bring that scar stinging to the surface. A scar like that, a scar like Harry's never truly goes away. But in the end the wizarding world itself lost the most and grieves the greatest, for it lost a wonderful wizard, it lost Harry Potter, and that, is its scar.


End file.
